Commodore MicroComputers (November/December 1986)

Source: Commodore MicroComputers – Issue Number 44 – November/December 1986

This was one of Commodore’s official publications and it tended to be quite good. In 1986 it was mainly covering the Commodore 64, Commodore 128 an the Amiga. The November/December 1986 issue includes:

Departments

Letters – Letters from readers about Way of the Exploding Fist and chess games.

News – New Microprint 2000 dot matrix printer from Micro Merics; The Big Blue Reader released which allows reading and writing files to DOS formatted disks with a Commodore 128 and 1571 disk drive; Commodore releases MPS1200 dot matrix printer; Commodore releases 1351 Mouse for the Commodore 64; Habitat premieres on QuantumLink; and more.

Telecommunications
- Q-Link Update – An overview of some of the features on QuanumLink, a Commodore 64 dedicated online service. These features include Photo Gallery, Auction, Habitat, Casino, Auditorium Happenings, and Software Library.

Software Reviews

Mind Mirrors – A unique game? which includes Life Simulation.

Bop’n Wrestle – One of the earliest wrestling games and not a bad one for the time.

GBA Basketball – Two-on-two basketball in which each player controls two team members.

Infiltrator – An action game that includes both helicopter sim and ground based action.

Hacker II – Use your hacking skills against the Russians.

Shadowfire – A graphic adventure in which you lead a team of six in search-and-destroy missions.

PaperClip II – A word processor designed specifically for the Commodore 128.

Escape – A cops and robbers adventure game.

Fantastic Animals/Creative Contraptions – Two educations software titles designed for kids.

Tips and Tricks

Hints for Fun and Utility – Tips for improving directory printouts, minimizing telecommunications charges, sending quick Q-Link messages, making disk envelopes, taking pictures of the screen, using carbon paper as an emergency printer ribbon, converting BASIC programs from the C64 to the C128, and much more.

Jiffies

Phone Messages – A type-in program that prints forms for recording phone messages.

Modem Answering Machine – A type-in program designed to allow other modem users to call your computer and leave a messsage.

Easydata-128 – A type-in program that redefines keys to make entering DATA statements easier.

Pick-up Blocks – A type-in puzzle game for the C64.

Silicon Valley Insider

From Big Blue Reader to Tass Times in Tone Town – A brief look at new and upcoming products including Big Blue Reader, Street Sports Baseball, clip art for Print Shop, Little Computer People, and more.

Amiga Update

Public Domain Software for the Amiga – An overview of the free public domain software currently available for the Amiga.

128 Users Only

C128 Spectacular – A short type-in program for the Commodore 128 that demonstrates the power of BASIC 7.0.

64 Users Only

EditWedge – A type-in program that provides a variety of programming tools.

Windows – A BASIC program that allows you to add windowing to your own programs with the caveat that only one window can be active at a time.

Computer Tutor

Game Design, Part 5 – The fifth part of a game design tutorial. This part focusses on creating a new character set.

Let’s C Now, Part 2 – Part two of a series on the C programming language.

Game Programs

Klondike Solitaire – Type-in solitaire game for the Commodore 64.

100 Mile Race – A type-in racing game for the Commodore 64 which in addition to just completing the course you must avoid obstacles such as pedestrians (no, they aren’t worth extra points).

Features

Quantumlink’s Habitat: The On-Line World From Lucasfilm Games – Everything old is new again. There was something resembling a metaverse for the Commodore 64 on QuantumLink decades ago.

The Best of 1986 – Reviewers choose the best products of the year for the Commodore 64, Commodore 128 and Amiga. Some items included are Spy vs. Spy II, Leader Board, Elite, Great American Road Race, GEOS, Swiftcalc 128, Ace of Aces, Deluxe Video, Digi-View, Spartan, Alter Ego, The Newsroom, Certificate Maker, Ultima IV, Silent Service, Advanced Music System, and lots of others.